Lastminute.com cancellation help

Cisco001

Why there is cancellation charge on top of full balance?

If you pay full balance and don't turn up, they can't do anything...

Alan_Bowen

Absolutely, it is either the full balance or cancellation charges, not both. The booking conditions are 'unusual' to say the least, but then the company is Swiss, not British. The cost of cancellation according to the conditions are as follows:

Other than in the cases listed in this section 12, in the event that a User withdraws from the package holiday contract prior to the date of departure, the User will be charged (regardless of any deposit that has been paid)– the amount of any individual management costs incurred in connection with such withdrawal, as well as any individual standard cost that each Supplier can request for each element that makes up the package. The User gives their full consent to Bravonext to directly charge the card used for the booking to recover these costs. The same sums shall be paid by Users who cannot travel due to the absence or irregularity of their personal documents required for foreign travel. Any cancellations requested by the User will incur an extra £30 per booking.

That may be clearer than mud, but not by much!

TELLIT01

Sorry for your situation, but it just emphasises why travel insurance needs to be taken out as soon as you book a trip.

lea2012

I think you have 3 potentially viable options at the moment:

1. Send medical proof to LastMinute and ask them to reconsider. Potentially I would contact the airline and hotel too. I don't think the airline will refund you, but the hotel may refund LM or cancel the booking with no fee. If you can prove that LM have not had to pay out to the hotel and have not suffered a loss then I believe they legally cannot charge you for that element.

2. Leave the booking as it is. Pay your friend for your share and then do not travel. This means the price won't increase, your friends can still go and they can just inform the check in desk at the airport and hotel that you won't be coming. You will still have to pay your share but it will save your friendship and will be the easiest solution.

3. Leave the booking as it is with LM but contact the hotel directly to see if you can change the name on your room only. That way you may be able to get 2 other friends to buy your room off you, getting you some money back. The flight can't be changed, I think you need to accept that you've lost that money now, but you may be able to salvage some of your hotel costs. I think if you contact the hotel themselves they may be more willing to help as they will still get paid for the room it will just be different guests. If someone takes over your room they will then just need to book their own flights.